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If you’re anything like me, the current state of the world might have unlocked a wellspring of rage you didn’t realize you had. Maybe your shower-time, falling asleep, ruminating on the road fantasies have turned violent. Maybe you can’t consume the news. Or maybe you consume it obsessively, the adrenaline building in your system until you want to punch something. Maybe you’re craving, wishing more powerfully than you’ve ever wished, that magic is real and you were a fire or storm or lava witch, because you have some ideas.

Oh, just me? Okay.

All this rage has me thinking about the angry, powerful female characters I’ve collected, the stories of girls and women who rage, who change their worlds. Maybe you need these stories as much as I do. Last week I wrote these all down, the stories I’ve read in the past few years that are feeding my soul right now. Continue reading →

Summary

Every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, and every woman who has ever dreamed of boarding a train to a place where no one needs constant attention–meet Maribeth Klein. A harried working mother who’s so busy taking care of her husband and twins, she doesn’t even realize she’s had a heart attack.

Surprised to discover that her recuperation seems to be an imposition on those who rely on her, Maribeth does the unthinkable: she packs a bag and leaves. But, as is often the case, once we get where we’re going we see our lives from a different perspective. Far from the demands of family and career and with the help of liberating new friendships, Maribeth is able to own up to secrets she has been keeping from herself and those she loves.

Target Audience

I’m obviously not the target audience for this novel, but I’ve read several of Forman’s YA novels, and I was curious to see how she tackled the adult audience. Also, as I’ve moved on from college and begun to establish my identity as an adult woman, I’ve become fascinated with studying the (real or fictional) stories of women in many stages of life. I think that doing so makes me more prepared for life transitions and helps me identify what I want out of my life.

And Leave Me addresses a common problem for women: feeling overworked and underappreciated. Most women don’t resort to literally running away from their homes, but they rebel in other ways. I’m scared of that feeling. I’m scared of feeling trapped by what should be a dream. I think maybe a lot of young women are.